chatime | ✧ — peach iced tea.

[ okay.

elysium biting his palm feels so weirdly intimate that it actually flustered him a bit, his cheeks darkening a little.
but thorns ignores that to keep fiddling with the tie.

it's not perfect, but it at least looks better than what elysium did. ]

[ he is 100% moping by the time thorns is done. ]

Don't forget yours…

[ … ]

Thanks.

I had to put some work in...

[ elysium did literally everything else.

it does feel a little nice though, knowing that thorns had to step in to help, like a small reminder things work better with each other. he does not say this and just does his own tie. ]

[ how often does thorns tie these things to do know to do it so well… so well in this case is a low bar to clear, but regardless, he will peek into a mirror and begrudgingly admit that it's a much better job. ]

I don't see any of this as work, though?

[ they get to hang out… he is paid in camaraderie. ]

But if you feel like you still owe me, you can always volunteer to be the one taking care of all the covers.

[ die in trying to put the blankets in and lining up the corners ]

Were you just trying to pass that onto me?

[ the two things are so different from each other that thorns can only assume elysium has been waiting for an opportunity to pawn it off. ]

... Are we ready?

We should do the things we're good at, shouldn't we? You always get it done sooooo fast.

[ there is nothing to suggest thorns is particularly skilled in this overly specific thing but okay.

he hands thorns' a bag. two bags. both are fairly heavy. ]

For your parents, from us. [ us sounds incredibly intimate… ] No forgetting the bride and groom either!

[ thorns vaguely remembers elysium saying he'd take care of the wedding gift, and then he never once thought about it again. he is realizing he probably should have? or at least asked how it was going? ]

What did you get...?

[ thorns can't see it considering it's now been covered by tissue paper, but he cants his head towards it nonetheless. he did say he'd text thorns an image of it to confirm. oops. ]

A Keurig. It was one of the things they requested. Since it was coming from the two of us, I thought I'd get the nicest one.

Tell me how much it cost and I'll pay you back.

[ if thorns keeps saying this, then surely elysium will eventually let thorns pay him back. it'll work one day.

but they can gather the remaining of their belongings and head out. the wedding takes place outside in a nicely decorated area with an amazing view of the ocean, while the reception is in a ballroom in the hotel they're staying at. they can just walk from the ceremony area to the ballroom since they're right next to each other. ]

[ okay. well. this one elysium will because it'd be moderately strange to say a gift is from them both and then to just pay for it himself. they don't have a joint bank account to pull from… sad.

but the moment they're surrounded by other people, elysium is off doing as extroverts do. it's only awkward when he gets to thorns' parents and they say they're glad him and thorns are getting it on again.

also there are people whispering if that guy's watch is a real r*chard mille? thorns? how do you know this guy and what kind of +1 is he to you. they have to know for their friends. ]

[ thorns is like, who is richard? he is so useless for gossip. someone asks him if elysium is single and thorns says no, but does not elaborate further because he doesn't want to talk about kitten.

it's so funny that elysium is doing more socializing than thorns is. ]

[ taken… by thorns?????? this is probably the worst place for any rumour to start because it's family and you can't just rid yourselves of them. nonetheless, that is what goes around—it makes sense why thorns is infinitely more put together than he has ever been before. he's found a rich bf that's totally pathetic for him. wow. the totally pathetic part coming from how whenever thorns is mentioned, elysium is nothing but glowing praise thinly veiled as shade.

elysium, not knowing any of this not being a part of anyone's inner circle, eventually finds his way back to thorns. ]

Have you said hi to everyone you needed to?

Yeah. I think you spoke to more people than I did.

[ but thorns hit his quota of how much he is willing to go and talk to people at this exact moment. ]

My parents seem excited to see you.

[ at this exact moment. okay. well, socialising more than thorns isn't exactly anything special. ]

I haven't had a chance to greet the wedding party yet. I figured we could do that together?

[ they are not talking about anyone's parents if he can help it ]

That's fine.

[ he is squinting at elysium's watch. thorns picked it because he just thought it looked cool and unique but so many people made such a big deal about it that he is wondering if he is missing something. like, he is aware it is likely expensive because he's not stupid but his guess on the price tag is not even 1/3 of what it actually is. ]

Let's go.

[ …

very subtly uses his watch hand to scratch a spot on his head. when he drops it back to his side, he holds it at an angle thorns can't see. this thing truly was a mistake… good thing he can

sleight of hand it into another similar-looking but more inexpensive watch!!!!!!! goodbye!!! everyone really mass hallucinated this richard guy.

they make it to the groom… cue another touching reunion… ]

[ it is so nice... the groom comments that he heard that they're dating now?

thorns opens his mouth. closes it. he is not sure how he got to this conclusion...? he glances at elysium to see how he wants to handle this because it seems weird to just go 'no he has a girlfriend' while in front of him. ]

[ truly a mystery why everyone thinks thorns is dating the only person he bothers stringing more than one sentence together with. truly!!!

by comparison, elysium just smiles with a shrug. wouldn't they like to know. the real mistake would be dressing up to a wedding with thorns and expecting people not to wonder. whatever's already floating around he doesn't know the extent of just yet, but at least he's got a set of carefully rehearsed replies ready to counter whoever actually decides to bring it to their doorstep. he quietly notes that thorns doesn't seem to care—not that he was expecting otherwise. ]

We look like we get along that well, huh? I'll have you know he nearly killed me on the ride here. But hey, I'm happy for you, man. [ he holds out a fist for him to bump. ] Don't let us take away from your moment.

[ and when the groom is called away, elysium glances at thorns, silently checking with his eyes. was that passable? ]

[ thorns seems fine with it, at least. he is wondering why elysium didn't flat out deny it, but he realizes that maybe he doesn't want people to know he's in a relationship? maybe he and kitten have some sort of romeo and juliet situation going on.

he starts to see everyone start going to their seats. ]

... I think they're going to serve the food.

[ thorns is about to have enough content to publish an entire book on elysium's fraught relationship with his discord kitten… they are taking up too much real estate.

but this is just elysium's tendency to take the easiest way out. he neither confirmed or denied the allegations, and the subject was dropped? so that's good enough for him. ]

I think I saw our name card over on that side. [ points.

their table is filled with people their age… this is about to be so rowdy… ]

[ hmm. one of the people is a cousin, but the rest all seem to be friends of the couple. they can wander over to it and will see that this group have already hit up the bar? oh, the youth...

thorns sits down quietly. he already greeted this cousin earlier so he does not have to small talk (this is his own logic). ]

[ if other people have already hit the bar or are currently hitting it, literally what are they waiting for. elysium immediately starts dragging thorns over. this is about to go downhill so fast. ]

[ the way thorns had literally just sat down and is now being dragged back up

but he follows along since if he doesn't, elysium will just bring him a drink back anyway but he'll be forced to socialize with a bunch of people he doesn't know in the meantime. one of these is less hellish than the other. ]

You didn't hesitate.

[ elysium being both his social lubricant and shield from his own family is so funny. he hands thorns a cooler to start them off. surely he does not get drunk on this? ]

It's been a long time since we've been able to drink together, that's all.

[ is that why he was so eager. maybe. ]

You're really keeping to yourself. Is there anything bothering you?

It's just been a while.

[ seeing family, and in general just being around this many people in a non-school or work setting. he sips af the drink... ]

I forgot how chatty everyone is.

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